Battery terminal connector



June 29, 1954 o oM s I 2,682,651

BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTOR Filed Sept. 24, 1951 lllliilill INVENTOR Orr/n H. Thom as ATTORNEY Patented June 29, 1954 BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTOR Orrin H. Thomas, Williamsport, Pa., assignor of fifty per cent to Joseph G. Saricks, Clear- Application September 24, 1951, Serial No. 247,938

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a terminal connector and more particularly to a device of the kind adapted for use with the posts of a storage battery, and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

The main objection to present day battery terminal connectors is that they look or freeze to the battery post. This is because when the connector is placed on the post and the nut tightened to draw the clamping member around the post, the clamping member metal is forced against the bolt body and the threads of the bolt causing a binding action between the clamp and the bolt. Furthermore this binding action prevents the clamping member from following the contour of the battery post and therefore impairs the connection and flow of electrical current between the battery post and terminal connector.

It is therefore an important object of the invention to provide a connector in which the clamping bolt cannot prevent the contacting portion of the connector from following the contour of the post and thus provide a better connection between the post and terminal connector. This works to a like advantage in the removal of the terminal connector from the battery post, for when the tightening bolt is backed away from its position against the clamping member, the

clamping member will readily return to its original open position.

It is also an important object of the invention to provide a connector for storage battery posts wherein the clamping action is accomplished without the need for the clamping bolt to pass through apertured jaws of the clamp, thus reducing liability of corrosion between the jaws, post and the clamping bolt.

It is a further important object of the invention to provide a connector for storage battery posts wherein the post-engaging collar of the connector has a movable portion adapted to firmly grip a post positioned therein upon tightening of a bolt member, one end of which is in contacting engagement with said movable portion of the collar.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a connector in the form of a closed loop, one portion of which forms a rigid post-engaging jaw and including a movable jaw within the loop in opposed relation to the first jaw, the loop having a bolt threadedly engaged therein adapted to contact the movable jaw to draw said rigid jaw and press the movable jaw into forcible engagement with a post positioned therefrom, as well as from the wall ll.

between said jaws, when said bolt is rotated one direction.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the connector in operative engagement with a battery post.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the connector.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 5.

Figure 4 is an end view of the connector.

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 5--5 of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a cross section similar to Figure 5, illustrating a modification of the connector.

There is illustrated a connector generally indicated by the reference character [0, molded as an integral closed loop member formed from any suitable metal. The connector comprises an annular body ll having a rigid jaw I2 con- 'stituting a portion of the closed loop member and a movable jaw it within the loop and arranged in opposed relation to the jaw I2, the annular body further having a tapered opening Hi for receiving a battery post l5, as shown in Figure 1.

The rigid jaw i2 is contiguous with a right angularly disposed wall it which in turn is integral with a wall 11, the latter lying in a plane parallel to the rigid jaw I2, said wall ll being molded as an integral part of the annular body ll, thus forming the closed loop.

The movable jaw I3 is formed as an integral extension of the annular member ll, arranged in parallel relation to the fixed jaw 12, but spaced It should be noted that the juncture of the wall I1 with the annular member II is at a point approximately medially of the longitudinal axis of the tapered opening Id of the annular member II, as indicated at l8, which allows ample movement of the movable jaw l3 about the circumference of a binding post for securement of the connector, without exerting excessive strain at the juncture It.

In order that a conductor cable (not shown) may be secured to the connector Ill, a collar or sleeve i9 is integrally formed with the annular member ll extending rearwardly therefrom. A cable may be inserted into the passage Zll of the sleeve and secured by means of a bolt 2| threadedly engaged with a nut 22 embedded in a boss 3 23 of the sleeve. It will be seen that the bolt 2| enters the passage 20 at right angles thereto and obviously when the bolt 2| is moved inwardly, the inner end of the bolt will impinge upon a cable within the sleeve.

The wall ll of the closed loop has molded therein a nut 24, the threaded opening of which lies in a plane in alignment at right angles to the movable jaw 53, and to effect movement of the jaw into clamping engagement with a battery post, a threaded bolt 25 is engaged with the threaded opening of the nut. It will be seen that upon inward movement of the bolt 25 into engagement with the adjacent face of the jaw I3, which it will be noted is at a point spaced from the center of the opening M of the annular member the latter will be moved in a direction circumferentially of a post and at the same time a pulling force upon the jaw I2 will be exerted by virtue of the wall l6, so that the walls of the tapered opening M will be forcibly drawn about the post 15, as indicated in Figure 1.

In the modified form of the connector shown in Figure 6 the parts are identical with the construction just described, except for the addition of a tension and reinforcing spring, and the elimination of the nut 24. The corresponding elements are identified by primed reference characters. Where it may be desirable to in-- crease the resilience or spring tension of the movable jaw :3, a fiat steel spring 26 may be embedded directly in the body of the jaw, the spring being so shaped as to extend partially around the annular member H and through the wall IT. The nut 24 of the first form is eliminated and in its stead the spring 26 is formed with a threaded opening 2'! for reception of the bolt 25'. In addition to increasing the resilience of the jaw 13, the juncture 3' between the annular member ll and the wall H is reinforced.

While I have shown and described preferred forms of the connector, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own all such modifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A battery terminal comprising a split ring having parallel jaws extended therefrom, one jaw estendin across the split of the ring and havin a return bend parallel to the other jaw and being joined to the split ring at a point tangentially to the latter jaw, said other jaw being free at its one end, screw means threaded through the return bend to move the free jaw toward the first mentioned jaw, and said split ring further having means for connection of a battery cable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,613,104 Hellman Jan. 4, 1927 1,808,330 Waltz June 2, 1931 1,873,930 Edmonson Aug. 23, 1932 1,988,567 Pontus Jan. 22, 1935 2,050,123 Robinson Aug. 4, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6&765 Denmark. May 10, 1948 

